Monday was franchise tag day. For football’s free agents that’s the equivalent of watching your triple-scoop hit the ground with a horrible splat.

It is the beginning of a two-week window when teams can prevent one player on its roster from becoming a free agent.

Instead of a multi-year bonanza with fat bonuses, players such as Ryan Clady, who the Broncos are tagging, will be locked in servitude on a one-year contract for a pre-determined amount.

Last year 21 teams took advantage of the franchise-friendly tag, the value of which fluctuates between positions and is determined by a convoluted formula.

Teams can still sign tagged players to multi-year contracts, but it keeps the likes of Joe Flacco off the open market.

Plus, if a player doesn’t agree on a multi-year deal, the franchise tag often results in a lower salary than he would have been able to negotiate on the open market as a free agent.

Franchise tag values range from $14.6 million at the quarterback position, to $10.3 million for a wide receiver to as low as $2.9 million for a kicker.

So, nobody is suffering, here. Tackles such as Clady, for example, carry a tag of $9.6 million, But there are plenty of crocodile tears when players realize that they’ll be receiving mini-millions instead of multi-millions — like the $50 million, five-year deal that Clady has already turned down.

With contract talks at an impasse, the 49ers are considering tagging safety Dashon Goldson a second consecutive season.

Flacco’s agent, Joe Linta, is to meet with the Ravens this week to open contract discussions. If no agreement is reached Baltimore will tag him.

Teams have until March 4 to use the tag and, other players who can expect to be told: “You’re It”, include:

Jarius Byrd, safety, Buffalo. The Bills swallowed hard, dumping veterans Nick Barnett and George Wilson, to clear cap space. At $6.8 million, the two-time Pro Bowler might think it’s for the Byrds, but for management this is a good deal.

Jermon Bushrod, tackle, Saints: The Saints don’t have the cap space right now but, without Bushrod, they might as well send Drew Brees out there with a “Kick Me” sign on his back. So, players like Jonathan Vilma are being asked to restructure contracts to make it happen.

Flacco, quarterback, Baltimore: It would leave him angry, disillusioned — and, playing at a 30% discount of what he believes he is worth. But it’s a business so the Ravens might not care how he feels.

Phil Loadholt, tackle, Minnesota: Adrian Peterson ran over his back for 2,097 rushing yards. The Vikings can’t afford to let him get away.

Rob Bironas, kicker, Tennessee: He’d cost the Titans $4.41 million — about $1.5 million more than the base for kickers — because of his higher cap hit in 2012. But he gives them stability at a key position. And, still affordable.

Sebastian Vollmer, tackle, Patriots: Protecting Tom Brady is Job 1.

Cliff Avril, defensive end, Detroit: This only happens if the Lions can find cap space. Tagging him a second consecutive year will pay him a premium of $12.4 million. Financially it doesn’t make sense. Competitively it makes all the sense in the world.

Dwayne Bowe, receiver, KC: Currently talking long-term deal. It’d cost $11.4 million to franchise him a second time and with a glut of receivers on the market, including Steelers Mike Wallace (and potentially the Rams’ Danny Amendola or Wes Welker in New England) the Chiefs might decide to gamble, play the field, and just let him hit the open market.

QUICK HITS

Eddy Lacy, the top running back in the draft has dropped out of this week’s combines due to a hamstring injury. Matt Barkley, the top-rated quarterback, won’t throw but is expected to attend. Doctors supervising his recovery from a seperated shoulder have cleared Barkley to throw at USC’s Pro Day on March 27 ... Colts will not re-sign Dwight Freeney, 33, the team’s all-time sacks leader and one of the franchise’s most popular players. “I was very surprised,” Freeney said in a text message to ESPN. “It would have been nice to retire a Colt ... My plan is to hit the free-agent market and see who has interest” ... Diagnosed with three concussions in less than two seasons, receiver Austin Collie, won’t be re-signed in Indy ... Steelers safety Ryan Clark says there is “a fracture” in the clubhouse after an anonymous teammate criticized linebacker LaMarr Woodley in a newspaper article. “He was awful,” the teammate told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. ”He tells us he works out, but we didn’t see it. He wasn’t in shape. That has to be a reason why he was always hurt” ... Wide receiver Nate Burleson is lobbying the Lions to sign free-agent running back Reggie Bush. “Everybody knows he can go out there and shake a little bit, wiggle a little bit and break that big run ... he’s still an elite running back. And if I can get Reggie Bush in a Detroit Lions uniform, ooh-wee, watch out.” ... Bucs’ defensive end Da’Quan Bowers was arrested Monday at LaGuardia Airport for having a loaded .40 calibre gun in his carry-on luggage. He was attempting to board a US Airway flight to North Carolina when he was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

BRITE

A dozen of the 21 players who received the franchise tag last year eventually signed multi-year deals. Of the nine who played out the season on their one-year tags, eight are eligible to be tagged again. Here is the lineup of players, plus what it would cost their current team to tag them again: